Steam has been used for a variety of purposes, e.g. cleaning, disinfecting, wrinkle removal, loosening wallpaper.
Steam is traditionally used when ironing clothes and other garments including curtains and furnishing covers with a steam iron that releases steam usually under the manual control of a user. Portable steamers employing steam wands are also known to remove creases and crinkles where steam is applied typically to hanging garments and the like. In this way, curtains can be treated with steam in situ or after being hung up following cleaning or washing. Wallpaper steamers are known for moistening old wallpaper so that it can be readily removed from walls prior to redecorating. Steam may also be used to clean and/or disinfect surfaces.
Problems exist with current steaming devices and methods.
Handheld steam irons are cumbersome and time consuming to use.
The large machinery used by laundry professionals to press items are generally too costly and inconvenient for the average consumer.
Household portable steamers work well to reduce superficial wrinkles in fabrics, but stubborn wrinkles are difficult to remove quickly with steam alone. It is also difficult to produce a crisp surface and make crisp creases in fabrics when using a household portable steamer alone.
Wallpaper removal steamers are generally pointed at, or held directly on, wallpaper to be removed in order to loosen the wallpaper so it may then be pealed pack or scraped off. However, this method, to be effective, only works on a small area at a time.
Additionally, there are numerous methods for cleaning and disinfecting flat surfaces such as walls and floors. One of these methods includes forced steam to remove surface impurities. This is effective for not only cleaning purposes but also for sanitizing and killing bacteria, viruses, mold and dust mites. However, one problem with this method is that, although steamers are effective in loosening dirt and debris, an additional method or step is required in order to remove the dirt and residue left behind.
Related art that is directed to steamer devices includes the following patents and published patent applications.
U.S. Pat. No. 1,690,757, issued to Steiner et al. on Nov. 6, 1928, discloses a device for steaming and brushing clothes in one operation, where the flow of steam may be readily controlled from the handle of the device.
U.S. Pat. No. 2,164,085, issued to Rossen on Jun. 27, 1939, discloses a self-propelled electric iron.
U.S. Pat. No. 2,743,541, issued to Schultz on May 1, 1956, discloses an attachment for a garment steaming and pressing machine.
U.S. Pat. No. 2,849,736, issued to Kohle on Sep. 2, 1958, discloses a fabric steaming and brushing device.
U.S. Pat. No. D222,502, issued to Madl, et al. on Oct. 26, 1971, illustrates a steam generating appliance for removing wrinkles from cloth articles.
U.S. Pat. No. 3,622,246, issued to Grooms on Nov. 23, 1971, discloses a painting device comprising a functionally shaped reservoir provided with an aperture therein, a paint dispensing roller operably mounted on said reservoir and disposed near and within said aperture, wiper blades operably mounted on said reservoir and disposed near the peripheral surface of said roller, and handle means.
U.S. Pat. No. 3,983,644, issued to Gowdy on Oct. 5, 1976, discloses a combination flash/flood boiler steam iron with a water tank having a fill opening and a liquid fill valve means to close the tank to ambient and having a steam generating soleplate with ports and boiler therein and a water valve to start and stop a metered flow of water to the boiler for generating flash steam. In this combination the improvement is added for selectively operating the iron with a flooded boiler comprising a separate flood valve means operable to partially empty the tank and fill the boiler to a flooded condition to generate saturated steam. A tubular means connects the boiler and water tank to balance both pressure within the iron and water level during flooded operation and to conduct all the generated steam to the tank interior. A steam passage distributing means connects to the soleplate ports and the distributing means is separated from the boiler generating means. Pressure control conduit means connects the tank interior and the distributing means whereby the iron operates dry with the valves closed to prevent steam generation; it operates with flash steam with the water valve open; and it operates flooded with saturated steam with the flood valve open; thus providing flexibility in several modes of operation. Additionally, a removable spout may be attached to the fill opening forming a steam nozzle so the iron may be used as a fabric steamer on vertically hanging garments.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,640,028, issued to Nakada et al. on Feb. 3, 1987, discloses a portable travel electric steam iron which also functions as a steamer having an aperture provided in a rear portion of the bottom of a water tank which supplies water into steam generating chambers from the water tank. Water dripping through the aperture is received by a water receiving surface provided on the center or on the front side of the center of a base. A handle which includes two straight positions separated by a bend is securable to an iron main body both in the operative position and storage position. An actuator for opening and closing an aperture is disposed in a space above the water tank, in the vicinity of a fixing portion at which the handle is fixed to the iron main body, thus providing a compact construction which is easy to handle.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,855,568, issued to Wilkins on Aug. 8, 1989, discloses a hand-held wallpaper steamer for use in wallpaper stripping having a housing of two-part clam shell construction, a base portion with a floor and a peripheral wall to form a chamber open at one face. The clam shells are contoured to receive the base portion at the open end of the housing to close that end. The clam shells are shaped to form a handle spaced from the base portion and extending in a direction generally parallel to the base portion. The clam shells are also shaped to accommodate a removable water tank.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,875,301, issued to Adams on Oct. 24, 1989, discloses a method and apparatus for removing wrinkles from a table skirt includes a cylinder capable of holding the table skirt and having a porous portion. The apparatus further includes devices for rotating the cylinder and for delivering steam from an outside source through the cylinder so that the steam passes through the porous portion and removes the wrinkles.
U.S. Pat. No. D319,121, issued to Muller on Aug. 13, 1991, illustrates a garment steamer.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,609,047, issued to Hellman, Jr. et al. on Mar. 11, 1997, discloses a portable garment steaming device for use in the home which emits steam through a retractable nozzle plate of a safety nozzle assembly which when retracted prevents against accidental touching of the hot nozzle plate. The garment steaming device also includes a clothes hanger assembly for hanging the article of clothing to be steamed. A water bottle compartment for supplying water to be generated as steam for the safety nozzle assembly is further provided which is detachably mounted for refilling.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,832,639, issued to Muncan on Nov. 10, 1998, discloses a portable garment finishing apparatus of the technology disclosed herein comprises a water reservoir, a water conversion device, and a conventional steam heated iron. The present apparatus is designed to operate from a single 115 v power source, such as an ordinary wall outlet. Using a water-level probe in connection with a circuit board having a relay switch, a pump is regulated in its supply of water from the reservoir to the steam chamber in the conversion device. Water continuously is converted to steam and constantly released to the iron where it maintains the iron temperature and may be released onto a garment for finishing. The steam returns to the conversion device where it condenses in a steam trap valve for subsequent return to the reservoir, where it may be recycled.
U.S. Pat. No. 6,061,935, issued to Lee on May 16, 2000, discloses a dual appliance for steam treating garments having a central reservoir and an electrical water pump to supply water to a steamer or a steam iron. Separate braided flexible cables supply water and power to the steamer and to the steam iron, to which the respective cables are respectively permanently connected. Plugs are provided at the ends of the cables for connection to a socket.
U.S. Pat. No. D426,924, issued to Joiner et al. on Jun. 20, 2000, illustrates a steamer head.
U.S. Pat. No. 6,622,404, issued to Valiyambath on Sep. 23, 2003, discloses a steamer arrangement comprising a cordless steaming device and a stand for holding the steaming device, the steaming device having a water tank, the stand having an electrically heated boiler, the steaming device and the stand being provided with mechanical coupling means, including valves for coupling the water tank of the steaming device to the boiler of the stand for obtaining a fluid communication between the boiler and the water tank when the steaming device is attached to the stand. When the steaming device is attached to the stand, steam flows from the boiler to the water tank, resulting in high-pressure/temperature steam in the water tank. Detached from the stand the cordless steaming device can be used directly for steaming. The cordless steaming device may be a cordless iron with the soleplate heated electrically, while simultaneously steam is charged when the iron is placed on the stand.
U.S. Patent Publication No. 2004/0144140, inventor Lee, published on Jul. 29, 2004, discloses a steamer attachment which allows a user to selectively dispense steam from a steamer. The attachment broadly comprises a body, a first and second steam distributor located in a head of the body, and a valve located in a handle of the body. The first distributor preferably comprises a nozzle to concentrate the steam and a brush. The second distributor preferably comprises a plurality of holes to disperse the steam. The second distributor may also include a detachable diffuser to further disperse the steam. The valve preferably opens a first path toward the first distributor before closing a second path toward the second distributor. Thus, the steam always has at least one available path, in order to prevent pressure buildup within the steamer.
U.S. Pat. No. 6,886,373, issued to Carrubba et al. on May 3, 2005, discloses a garment steamer for domestic use that cooperates with a variety of different attachments to provide a variety of different steam or vapor emitting effects. The garment steamer also has an ionic and/or ozone generating/emitting feature to facilitate neutralizing odor and removing undesirable particulate from a garment. The garment steamer may also have a hanger and rod assembly in which a collapsible hanger selectively cooperates with a telescopic rod, which is connected to a base, such that the hanger can be selectively positioned at any location along the height of the rod and/or disengaged from the rod. The garment steamer also includes a fluid heating assembly enclosed in the base, a separable fluid container in separable fluid communication with the fluid heating assembly, and a separable hose in separable fluid communication with the fluid heating assembly, as well as with the variety of different attachments.
U.S. Pat. No. 6,986,217, issued to Leung et al. on Jan. 17, 2006, discloses a hand held appliance for use in applying steam to a garment or other item made of fabric includes a pump, a boiler and a switch. Power is applied through the switch to the pump. The pump pumps water from the water tank to the boiler. The water is converted to steam in the boiler and is expelled from the appliance through a set of nozzles. The appliance may include optional attachments for performing other operations on garments or fabric, for example, applying pressure, brushing, scrubbing, or lint removal.
U.S. Pat. No. 7,051,462, issued to Rosenzweig on May 30, 2006, discloses a combination steam cleaner and steam iron includes a steam generator, a steam cleaner and a steam iron. The steam generator includes a voltage control device serially connected to a boiler element for boiling water to produce steam. The steam cleaner is attachable to the steam generator, a nozzle that dispenses the steam, and a circuit designed to supply power to the boiler element when the steam cleaner is attached to the steam generator. The steam iron is attachable to the steam generator, includes an iron heating element for heating the iron, and includes a circuit designed to supply power to the iron heating element in addition to supplying power to the boiler element, when the steam iron is attached to the steam generator. The steam generator also includes a steam release valve that supplies the steam and which is controlled by respective switches within the steam cleaner and iron.
Generally available portable steaming appliances include those provided by TOBI®, CONAIR®, JIFFY®, ROWENTA®, ACE HI®, EURO-PRO®, STEAM FAST®, SAMSONITE®, HOMEDICS®, SUNBEAM®, RELIABLE®, SHARPER IMAGE®, SHARK®, SCUNCI®, and others.
While these patents, published patent applications, other previous methods and devices have attempted to solve the problems that they addressed, none have utilized or disclosed a roller iron steamer accessory kit and system capable of loosening wall paper, cleaning, sanitizing and pressing, as does embodiments of the technology disclosed herein.
It is therefore an aspect of the technology described herein to provide a new and improved roller iron steamer accessory kit and system which has all the advantages of the prior art steaming devices and none of the disadvantages.
Therefore, a need exists for a roller iron steamer accessory kit and system with these attributes and functionalities. The roller iron steamer accessory kit and system according to embodiments of the technology disclosed herein substantially departs from the conventional concepts and designs of the prior art. It can be appreciated that there exists a continuing need for a new and improved roller iron steamer accessory kit and system which can be used commercially. In this regard, the technology disclosed herein substantially fulfills these objectives.